Khan Yasir visualises the power of youth and lights a candle of undaunted hope amidst what he calls ‘the darkness and storms that surround us’.
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. (Aristotle)
Human beings are primarily an ideological being. Unlike rocks, mushrooms, and rabbits they do not mere exist, grow, eat, drink, sleep, and procreate. They think, they dream. And they work hard to realise those dreams. From a simple wheel to the most complex of supercomputers – all the inventions are indebted to this constant thinking and analysing what exists; dreaming about what does not; and working hard to make the ‘non-existent’ come to ‘life’.
Not just scientific, this is true to all human endeavours!
Name a leader, a teacher, a king, a conqueror, a scientist who has changed the world and I will show you a person who sincerely dreamt of a goal and dedicated his life to realise the same.
It is as if human beings have been granted a wish. A wish that whatever they would wish for sincerely shall be granted to them! You wish to be rich – you shall be… provided you wish for it sincerely. You wish to be famous – you shall be… provided you wish for it sincerely. You wish to bring a change in the world – you shall-be-able-to… provided you wish for that change sincerely.
Do you believe in this magic mantra?
If you do then you are a youth, no matter if you are 70, 80, 90, or even 100 years young! But if you do not believe in this dictum then perhaps your youth-ness has been inflicted with some sickness even if you are 25 years old-and-rotten.
If indeed you are a youth then the questions that matter are:
1) What is my dream?
2) Can I dedicate my life to the same?
3) Is it worth it?
It is especially the third question that takes us back to the opening sentence of this discourse. That: human beings are primarily an ideological being. Your dream and your decision to dedicate your life to realise the same depends on your thinking; your understanding of right and wrong; your understanding of important and unimportant; and of course your hunger. Your idea of life tells you if it is ok to sacrifice your precious life at the altar of money, power, or fame. What is that if indeed there is anything greater than these goals? Or are such claims mere pretence of some daydreams?
Sometimes we pride ourselves with good intentions but do not possess the right way to effectively translate those good intentions into valuable actions. Sometimes along with sound intentions we also have knowledge of the right-way but just couldn’t pursue it due to so many reasons… mainly societal pressure and the fear of being alone.
This explains the failure of various social, political, economic, and cultural initiatives worldwide and especially in our own beloved country. Social Movements begin with a roar; lofty slogans are shouted; government and society is vehemently criticised; fantastic roadmaps are proposed; but nothing comes off at the end. Liberty, Equality, Justice, Development, Peace – all have become illusive at times and charade at others. Achhe Din has been constantly eluding us. Many sincere efforts have been proven to be misguided missiles and have resulted in further despair, anguish, and hopelessness.
Is there a way out?
Of course there is. Our youths can show the path to the truth and salvation. They are the key to each and every change and revolution in the world – be it for the better or worse. They are the trendsetters. If only they ‘know’ what the right path is and how to tread the same then they will lead the humanity out of this quagmire of chagrin and waywardness.
But it is a shame that the agents of change have itself become corrupt and most unruly of the lot in the society. Youths today are directionless. Their dreams are pathetic, selfish, and sloppy. They are ‘realistic’ and ‘practical’ and have no concern for the ideals of truth and justice and dreams of a better society. It is as if the immune system of the body starts attacking itself! Also, many youngsters, instead of being messengers of love, peace and communal harmony, have fallen victim to the venomous propaganda of hate. This phenomenon is growing like cancer in our society. Those few youths who do dream big, do not know how to realise them. In their desperation, sometimes, they prove more fatal than others. While chastising the decaying society in which they live, they develop some sort of negativity towards even the fundamental truths, sublime ethics, and positive institutions. It is as if a quack performs surgery on the vital organs of the body and in the process does more damage than good.
The need of the hour is cultivation of sound knowledge and sound temperament in the youths. And only then they will be able to efficiently discharge their responsibilities in the society at large.
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) nurtures in its cadres good intentions, precise knowledge, exalted wisdom, invincible courage, and rightful action. We, at SIO, aim to reconstruct the society in the light of Divine Guidance. We believe that only cursing the darkness is not enough and a single candle can defy (and thereby define) the darkness. And hence even with our limited numbers and meagre resources, in comparison with the darkness and storms that surround us, we have been lighting candles and holding torches of the Divine Guidance for the last 35 years.
Are you a part of this illustrious caravan?
[The writer is Member Central Advisory Council of SIO]